Welcome to Art Detective
https://www.artuk.org/artdetective/
Who painted this mythological scene and what is its subject?
Through Art Detective anyone with specialist knowledge can help public art collections across the United Kingdom. Find out how you can get involved. Click here if you represent a public art collection.
Discoveries
https://www.artuk.org/artdetective/discoveries/discoveries
Unknown First World War Officer identified
https://www.artuk.org/artdetective/discoveries/discoveries/unknown-first-world-war-officer-identified
Second Lieutenant Paul Chancourt Giradot (1895–1914), 1st Bn OBLI, c.1916–1918, oil on canvas by unknown artist
Not all proposed discussions become public discussions as some can be solved quickly without the need for further debate.
One such discussion was proposed by public user Martin Gillott regarding the identification of an unknown First World War officer.
Martin wrote in with a solid argument and unquestionable evidence. He uploaded an obituary that had a photograph that was undoubtedly the ‘unknown’ man in the painting held by Carmarthenshire Museums Service Collection.
Not only did Martin identify the sitter but he also uploaded snippets of other battalion war diaries that recorded the death of the sitter. Here is an example:
“War Diary for 2nd Bn OBLI: 16th Sep 1914. SOUPIR. In the afternoon C & D Coys with half the Regimental Scouts were sent up in support of the 4th GUARDS BDE. Near LA COUR DE SOUPIR one big shell caused the following casualties: Killed - Lt R G WORTHINGTON, Lt H MOCKLER-FERRYMAN, 2 Lt P C GIRARDOT & 28 men. Wounded - Capt C G HIGGINS, Capt R C EVELEGH, 2 Lt A D TYLDEN-PATTENSON & 8 men. Of these Capt EVELEGH & 2 Lt TYLDEN-PATTERSON were able to return to duty two days later”
Martin also noted that the ‘Bond of Sacrifice’, Vol. I, page 153 has some biographic details and a photo on which the portrait is based. It records his battalion as 1st Bn but he died serving with the 2nd Bn. Unfortunately, for no apparent reason, Lieutenant Paul is not shown in the 1914 Army List under the OBLI.
The title was amended from Portrait of an Unknown First World War Officer to Second Lieutenant Paul Chancourt Giradot (1895–1914), 1st Bn OBLI.
Alice Payne, PCF